Ahhhh. Oftentimes it’s the simple things in life that make us happiest. Even in the kitchen. A little dose of happy just came in with this Snapi single handed server that I just discovered. What an adorable and practical little invention. One of those things where you wonder why it didn’t exist before…
The Snapi is a clamshell-like spring-loaded claw that makes picking up, well, practically anything easy, with a single hand, a whole serving with just one scoop.
I first tried it on all the items below (and then some) and am now using it as my favorite server. Sure, it’s [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Okay, I admit it. I am a closet potato chip eater. I have no cravings for sweet treats but hand me a bag of something crunchy and salty and the contents of said bag are gone. Ugh! This has been my nemesis for my entire life. I just cannot have chips in my home. And, you know as well as me that the “healthy” baked chips are just not the same.
Gone are the days when I could cut back on eating so that I could indulge my craving. As they say, “Once on the lips, [...]

I have several (unfortunate) pet peeves. Many of them are creeping up right around this time of year because they mostly revolve around the theme of entertaining and food service… For one, the idea of mistakenly drinking from someone else’s glass is extremely disturbing (eww, cooties) and second – but way more peeving: I CAN’T stand the thought of the nearly full soda cans or water bottles being tossed simply because their owners have abandoned them and yet merrily go on opening yet another drink – that they will also lose track of… Kids and adults are equally guilty. It’s [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
You may feel a bit like Micheal Jackson but these Magic Hands makes cleaning so much easier. Zip through the house wearing these gloves and it will sparkle. They are like a latex glove and sponge all in one!
Simply add the cleaners right to the gloves and see how counter tops, dishes, sinks and the entire bathroom will gleam. You can get into all those nooks and crannies by using your fingers. You can even plunge your hands into boiling water and your hands will not feel a thing. They will stay dry and protected [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
My daughters love hot chocolate! But what kid doesn’t, right? Now that it is getting cooler in the mornings, the girls love having their hot chocolate (I usually use Olvaltine or Carnation Instant Breakfast on school days) before school.
I just discovered the easiest way to make a hot chocolate drink that looks like it was made at a French bistro. That is the Froth & Pour Hot Chocolate Pot made exclusively for Williams-Sonoma.
Simply add milk and chocolate mix into the pot and put it in the microwave. Once heated, press the mixing button to whip [...]

It’s the little things in life that make us happy, right? Like the perspective of successfully poaching egg without having a nervous breakdown in the making of it (i.e. achieving that elusive balance of having the egg white set and the yolk still runny).
And, I mean the real poaching, in boiling water, not the cheating kind with all the chichi non-stick poaching skillets and other similar electric versions. I’m going to buy a specialized skillet just to make my occasional Eggs Benedict? Don’t think so.
But, I will definitely go out and buy simple gadgets that can aid in the task [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
If you are like me, you keep a drawer or file folder full of cards for every occasion – because you never know when you will need a good card at the last minute. The last time I went through my cards, I  realized that there were some that I no longer found funny, appropriate or even nice looking and really wondered why I bought them in the first place (see the not-so-pretty evidence at right).
I gave a bunch to my daughters to use for their art projects and realized I just gave them over [...]

That’s what I said! When I met Jacque Egnatic, the inventor of Jeweler in the Dishwasher, at a recent trade show, I’m sure that I had this dumb, questioning look on my face. What? Clean my fine jewels in the… dishwasher? With my…dirty dishes? Well, Jacque was quick to present enough evidence to have me wipe that look off my face in just a few moments.
Turns out that Jacque is a second generation jeweler with 37 years of experience making, repairing and designing fine jewelry. She KNOWS jewelry and all the tricks to maintain it. Cleaning is one of them. [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
When I was over for dinner at my friend Jill’s home, she used this great bottle called the Blender Bottle to make her salad dressing. Although it was a simple oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice and salt dressing, the Blender Bottle emulsified all the ingredients perfectly and made the salad dressing light and airy. Simply add all the ingredients in the bottle, drop in the wire whisk ball that comes with the bottle, and it all blends together as you shake it.
Jill’s son Sean is the one who introduced the Blender Bottle to his mom [...]

Much to my chagrin, we are now in that time of year when days are getting noticeably shorter (I almost feel the vitamin D leaving my body as I type…). The lights in the house will indubitably get turned on earlier in the morning and earlier in the evening. I never used to think about how much energy a light bulb consumed but now, in trying to conserve resources, I do think about it every time I turn on a light.
It’s a good time of year to let you know about a product that I just learned about: a dimmer [...]